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● A Constitutional Perspective On the Re-Assignment of Majome | ● The Consistency Question: From SAPES to CAB3—When motives trump substance. | ● Rethinking Zimbabwe’s Electoral System: Why Electing the President Through Parliament May Be the Reform the Nation Needs | ● Zimbabwe's Constitutional Amendment Require a Nuanced Assessment from the Economic Point of View | ● The Opinion of 10000 Men is of No Value if None of Them knows Anything about the Subject | ● A Strategic Case for Constitutional Reform: Positioning Amendment Bill No. 3 Within Global Best Practice | ● Whether Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 Requires a Referendum Under Section 328 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe (Formalist Position) | ● Zimbabwe's Fiscal Dilemma - Budgeting in ZiG & Collecting and Spending in US$ | ● Why Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Debate Matters for African Democracy | ● Abolishing the Zimbabwe Gender Commission will be a Dangerous Step Backwards | ● Grassroots Need No Referendum on Bill 3. | ● Zimbabwe’s Digital Leap: The AI National Strategy (2026-2030) |
Do we need elections in Zimbabwe?
Opinion
Friday, Mar 06, 2026 admin 2 min read

Do we need elections in Zimbabwe?

By Dr Limukani Mathe

I have written several times in my scientific academic articles that Zimbabwe needs to suspend elections for a certain period and focus on national unity and development. Iam still of the same perspective, that electioneering and sloganeering will not serve Zimbabwe anything but violence, retrogression and confusion.

I again join the current Constitutional Amendment debate whether Zimbabwe needs extension of Presidential term. Critics of Presidential term extension are of the opinion that the idea violates the Constitution. I do not think such perceptions are solely invested in the supreme interests of the constitution but clutter to find political power if Zimbabwe holds elections in 2028. Most of these individuals critiquing presidential term extension currently hold no political power and hope to find a life.  These are Prof Lovemore Madhuku, Tendai Biti and of course Nelson Chamisa. They are in search of a political job. Their opposition to the Constitutional Amendment Bill No.3 is influenced by desire to find power, at least get a parliamentary seat. But are they going to win if Zimbabwe goes for elections in 2028? Of course, No.

Before we venture into why we do not need elections in Zimbabwe anytime soon, let us summarise the achievements by the President Mnangagwa’s government. I was in Zimbabwe recently- driving on the beautiful roads of Mazowe, portions of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road, Beitbridge- Harare Road just to mention a few. One can attest that infrastructural and road rehabilitation projects are still ongoing. Unlike the Mugabe regime, Mnangagwa’s government has shown some progressive development in infrastructural and road development. Mugabe spent his political life- sloganeering and fighting Western pressures-accompanied by oppositional anarchy and lack of national development.

This shows that electioneering has not done Zimbabwe anything good besides divisions and sabotage.  Why should it be a problem, letting the current government complete its projects? Can Nelson Chamisa and his structureless party do anything better, assuming they win elections, which is, of course, impossible given the current status quo. Why should we spend much of our energies opposing and sloganeering in the name of democracy yet letting a country continuously rot in disruptive politics. The significance of our democracy is not exclusively in holding elections but in the obligation for national development.

 

Dr Limukani Mathe is a Research Associate at the University of South Africa. An expert in democracy and digital technologies.